One analyst believes Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee is the 17th-best coach in the NBA. 

Lee Escobedo of Bleacher Report ranked Lee 17th in his 2025-26 NBA season power rankings for all 30 head coaches.

"In pressers, Charles Lee talks like a reformer," Escobedo wrote. "He's injecting more pace and space into the Hornets' attack, openly criticizing last season's sluggish pace (Charlotte ranked 23rd in pace at 98.22 possessions per 48 minutes) and promising more movement, more spacing, and more read-and-react actions off screens and cuts.

"With Brandon Miller, Lee has leaned into giving him freedom as a perimeter scorer and cutter, trusting him to make reads off the ball. When Miller returned from injury, Lee pointed to a moment when the rookie "gathered the group" to tighten pick-and-roll coverage—a microcosm of Lee's developmental ethos.

"He edges out more inexperienced coaches thanks to his early offensive identity and the chemistry he's fostering between Miller and LaMelo Ball, but until he proves he can translate that fluid style into disciplined half-court production and making the playoffs in the weakest division, he remains mid-tier."

Lee and the Hornets went 19-63 last season. They had the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.  

Charlotte hasn't been to the playoffs since 2016 or had a winning record since the 2021-22 season. 

Lee began his coaching career as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014. He spent four seasons in Atlanta before joining the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018. 

After five seasons in Milwaukee, Lee spent one season with the Boston Celtics before taking the Hornets job in 2024. 

Charlotte opens the 2025-26 season tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. No one is picking Lee and Co. to make the playoffs this season, so the Hornets are looking to defy the odds in a major way. 

Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges will have to put up All-Star numbers for Charlotte to have a winning record this season. It will be fascinating to see how many games the Hornets win in Year 2 with Lee at the helm.